Tuesday, July 30, 2013

A new restaurant may be on its way to Newton, and it looks like it will be located within a hotel.

The City of Newton website is showing that Social Restaurant and Bar plans to open on Washington Street in Newton Corner, with the address indicating that it will apparently be going into the former Applebee's space at the Crowne Plaza. The post shows that the new dining and drinking spot would be open for lunch and dinner daily and that it would have seating for 172. Entertainment at Social Restaurant and Bar may include live bands, and eight TVs are planned for the spot.

Currently, there is little other information on Social Restaurant and Bar; as soon as we find out more, we will post an update here.

[November 14 update: The Newton TAB states that Social Restaurant and Bar is opening tomorrow, with the article also saying that the dining and drinking spot will feature "an eclectic mix of comfort food and New England classics."]

The address for this new place in Newton Corner is: Social Restaurant and Bar, 320 Washington Street, Newton, MA, 02458.

Thanks to a poster on the Chowhound site for bringing this to our attention.

According to a recent License Commission General Hearing page on the City of Cambridge website, Dumpling House is planning to open on Mass Ave. around the western edge of Central Square. The page mentions that the proposed eatery would be open for lunch and dinner seven days a week and that it would have seating for 96. It looks like beer and wine may be offered at Dumpling House, as the place has applied for a wine & malt beverages as a restaurant license.

[September 6 update: A new License Commission General Hearing page indicates that Dumpling House might not be offering beer and wine after all, as the post says that the place has applied for a common victualer license that would allow for food and nonalcoholic beverages only. (The hearing will take place on September 10.)]

[April 9, 2014 update: Eater Boston states (via Chowhound) that Dumpling House could be opening in approximately two weeks--and it has some connections with Gourmet Dumpling House in Boston's Chinatown neighborhood.]

[April 21, 2014 update: According to a post on its Facebook page, Dumpling House has a "trial" opening today.]

It looks like a Mexican restaurant is planning to open between two of the busiest sections of Cambridge.

A recent License Commission General Hearing page on the City of Cambridge site mentions that Cancun Taqueria is looking to move into a space on Mass. Ave. between Harvard Square and Central Square, with the building being the same one that houses three other dining spots--Zoe's, Cafe Sushi, and Dolphin Seafood. As for now, it appears that the new eatery would be open for lunch and dinner seven days a week, it would not offer alcohol, and it would have seating for 60 plus 4 seasonal outdoor seats.

It is not known whether Cancun Taqueria is related to Taqueria Cancun in East Boston; as soon as we find out more on this place, we will post an update here.

[July 31 update: Based on a photo from Eater Boston, it appears that Cancun Taqueria is moving into the space where Lamole restaurant had been until closing this spring.]

[August 16 update: A new article from Eater Boston indicates that Cancun Taqueria has opened.]

A popular women's magazine has come out with its picks for best "over-the-top" burgers, and a little-known Boston-area restaurant has been included among the picks.

In a new Redbook article on "The 10 Most Over-the-Top Burgers in the U.S.," City Streets on Lexington Street in Waltham was included for its burger stuffed with macaroni and cheese. The magazine mentions in the article that the burger "has us wondering what other classic comfort foods should be combined for total nirvana. Hot dogs and apple pie?" In addition to City Streets, a few other restaurants mentioned in the list include A.G. Kitchen in New York City (The Gaucho Burger), Umami Burger in California, Florida, and New York City (The Original Umami Burger), and SLIDE in New York City (Chicken and waffle sliders).

City Streets has been featured on our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants) as an under-the-radar place for classic American comfort food. The review can be found here:

Monday, July 29, 2013

A few more stories and articles centering on the Boston-area restaurant scene came out over the past week, including an ice cream competition coming to Somerville, a board game cafe on its way to Brookline, and a burger place opening a new location within Fenway Park. In addition, our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants) included an updated review of a breakfast and lunch spot in Quincy, a blog entry on highlights from a road trip north of Boston, and a photo of a red-hot dish from a Chinese restaurant in Sharon.

It looks like a group of Asian tea shops with locations across New York City is going to be opening another Boston shop.

Eater Boston is reporting that Kung Fu Tea is planning to open by the Symphony T Station in the Back Bay, where Massachusetts Avenue and Huntington Avenue meet. Once it opens, this will either be the second or third location of the tea shop n the city, depending on whether the Chinatown location opens on Kneeland Street first (a branch on Harvard Avenue in Allston opened over the winter). Based on the menu at the Allston location, the new Kung Fu Tea by Symphony could be serving such items as Kung Fu Bubble Milk Tea/Milk Green Tea, Passionfruit Green Tea, Green Wow Milk, and Red Wow Milk.

[December 3 update: A PDF page on the City of Boston website mentions that the upcoming Kung Fu Tea in the Back Bay has applied for a common victualler license, with a hearing on it taking place tomorrow. The page also gives the exact address for the planned spot--334 Mass. Ave.]

[January 31, 2014 update: The new location of Kung Fu Tea by Symphony has opened.]

Kung Fu Tea has branches in Manhattan, Queens, and Brooklyn, as well as business ventures in Taiwan, China, and Southeast Asia. Their website can be found at http://kfteausa.com/

A chain of tea shops based in Canada is continuing its expansion in the Boston area, with a new one planned for a redeveloped shopping area a few miles west of the city.

According to the website for The Street Chestnut Hill, DavidsTea is going to be opening within the open-air retail development (which had formerly been the Chestnut Hill Shopping Center). This will be the third location of the tea shop, with the first Boston-area location opening last fall on Washington Street in Downtown Crossing and its second opening earlier this year on Tremont Street in the South End. More may be on the way, as the chain had previously been looking at possible sites in the Back Bay as well.

Currently, most of the DavidsTea stores are in Canada, though locations can also be found in such places as New York City, Chicago, and San Francisco. The stores focus on premium loose leaf teas, including exclusive tea blends.

The address for this upcoming tea shop in Chestnut Hill is: DavidsTea, 55 Boylston Street, Chestnut Hill, MA, 02467. Their website can be found at http://www.davidstea.com/

A Connecticut-based group of Mexican restaurants is going to be opening two new spots in the Greater Boston area--and many more could eventually be on the way to the region.

According to their website, Plaza Azteca is planning to open new outlets in Boston and Hingham, with the Hingham location possibly opening this month, based on information from a Craigslist job post. The Hingham branch of the eatery will be going into the former Chili's space at the intersection of Routes 53 and 228, though it is not yet known where the Boston location will be. Other locations are planned for Cape Cod, Enfield, CT, and New York City, joining existing locations in Methuen and Worcester, MA, along with Manchester, Newington, and Wallingford, CT. A Boston Globe article mentions that Plaza Azteca plans to open 50 new locations in New England over the next ten years.

[September 13 update: A Chowhound poster state (via Facebook) that Plaza Azteca has opened its Hingham location, making this the first to come to the Greater Boston area.]

Plaza Azteca first started out in 2003, offering "Mexican gourmet cuisine" to diners, including tostadas, empanadas, taquitos, enchiladas, quesadillas, fajitas, chimichangas, burritos, and more. The website for the chain can be found at http://plazaaztecanewengland.com/

Friday, July 26, 2013

The Boston-area premiere of a documentary film about bartending is coming next month.

On August 13, "Hey Bartender" will be shown at the Brattle Theatre on Brattle Street in Cambridge's Harvard Square, with the screening beginning at 8:00 PM. The documentary, which is directed by Douglas Tirola and is 93 minutes in length, focuses on two bartenders who are attempting to achieve their dreams, including an injured marine who looks to become a main bartender at "the best cocktail bar in the world" and a white-collar worker who changes careers, buying a corner bar in his hometown.

After the screening of the movie, a Q+A session will take place with the director as well as local mixologists Josh Childs, Misty Kalkofen, and Jackson Cannon, with all of them being at an after-party at The Hawthorne in Boston's Kenmore Square.

An Oklahoma-based chain of frozen yogurt shops that has opened several Boston-area outlets over the past year or so is getting ready to open many more in the region.

A press release from Orange Leaf Frozen Yogurt states that a "massive" expansion is coming to Massachusetts, with 18 new stores planned for the state by the end of the year, including its first within the Boston city limits. The chain has already opened a number of shops in Massachusetts, including in Lexington, Marblehead, Needham, Salem, and Somerville, with the plan being for a total of 41 shops coming to the state. The website shows new stores coming to Belmont, Boston, Cambridge, Melrose, Newton, Waltham, Watertown, Winchester, and Woburn, along with other communities in the Boston area and across Massachusetts.

Thursday, July 25, 2013

A few years ago, we reported that a small global chain of Japanese noodle houses was looking to continue its expansion through the Boston area. Now we have learned that a fourth location will indeed be coming to the region, with this one being in an upcoming open-air retail center north of the city.

A Twitter post sent to us today indicates that Wagamama is coming to MarketStreet Lynnfield, a development that will soon open near the intersection of Routes 128/95 and Walnut Street. Once it opens, the new ramen bar will join existing locations in Boston's Faneuil Hall, the Prudential Center in the Back Bay, and Harvard Square in Cambridge. These happen to be the only three locations of Wagamama in the entire United States, with others being found in various parts of the world, including Ireland, Denmark, Turkey, Qatar, and Australia.

[October 28 update: A Facebook post from the restaurant indicates that the new Wagamama in Lynnfield is opening this Wednesday (October 30).]

A few other restaurants that are opening at MarketStreet Lynnfield include Davio's, Fugakyu, Kings, Legal C Bar, Otto Pizza, and the Yard House.

It looks like a new upscale restaurant and bar is on its way to the South Shore.

According to a post within the restaurant jobs section of the BostonChefs.com site, Crow's Landing is coming to Hingham, with the "modestly-priced" eatery looking to strike "an appropriate balance between traditional comfort food and modern culinary trends." The post says that the menu at the 55-seat dining and drinking spot will exclude any deep-fried foods, and that beer, wine and spirits will be available.

Crow's Landing may be opening sometime in September, according to BostonChefs.com.

[October 31 update: A post on its Facebook page indicates that Crow's Landing is now open.]

The address for this new restaurant and bar in Hingham is: Crow's Landing, 6 Crow Point Lane, Hingham, MA, 02043. The website will be at http://www.crowslandingma.com

A quick update on Clover--after closing all locations of their brick-and-mortar restaurants and food trucks earlier in the month, their restaurants are reopening today, though the food trucks are planning a possible Monday reopening (info supplied via a post on the Clover site).

[July 29 update: A new post on the Clover site mentions that the food trucks will not be reopening today after all; the update says that "We are looking at running a limited fleet of trucks Tuesday and rolling out more as the week goes on."]

[July 30 update: The Clover truck at MIT in Cambridge has reopened, though we are still waiting to hear about the status of their other trucks (keep checking back for more updates).]

As reported earlier, Ayr Muir of Clover had temporarily shut down all locations in and around Boston due to a salmonella outbreak in Massachusetts.

Clover's brick-and-mortar locations can be found in Cambridge's Harvard Square and Inman Square along with Burlington and Brookline, with their trucks being found in a number of locations in Boston and Cambridge. The website for Clover is at http://www.cloverfoodlab.com/

Wednesday, July 24, 2013

A national chain of burger places is getting ready to start serving breakfast, with its downtown Boston shop being the first one to do so in the Northeast.

The Restaurant Hub blog of the Boston Globe is reporting that Five Guys Burgers and Fries on Summer Street is going to be offering breakfast starting on Monday, July 29. The article mentions that the breakfast menu will include egg sandwiches with bacon and cheese options, along with a burger patty option as well. Orange juice and coffee will be available as well.

In addition to its Summer Street location, Five Guys has a number of other shops in and around Boston; it is not yet known when those outlets will start serving breakfast (keep checking back for updates).

The address for the Five Guys branch in downtown Boston is 58 Summer Street, Boston, MA, 02110. The website for the burger chain can be found at: http://www.fiveguys.com/

An event that focuses on a popular summertime treat is coming to Somerville next month.

On Sunday, August 18 from 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM, the Boston Ice Cream Takedown will take place at the Center for Arts at the Armory on Highland Avenue. The event will pit local home cooks against each other with judges choosing the best ice cream, while guests will be able to sample the treats.

Tickets to the Boston Ice Cream Takedown will cost $15, with a link for purchasing tickets being up soon.

Last summer, the folks behind a Boston-based Vietnamese food truck (and now, a restaurant in Cambridge's Kendall Square as well) teamed up with area dining spots to host pop-up picnic dinners on the Rose Kennedy Greenway in downtown Boston. The picnics are about to continue, with a new pop-up scheduled for the end of the month.

On Wednesday, July 31, Bon Me will partner with The Blue Room in Kendall Square to have a pop-up picnic by the Rings Fountain on the greenway, with the dinner going from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM. The menu will feature the following:

Tuesday, July 23, 2013

An American restaurant and wine bar that opened in Lexington last fall is soon going to be adding something new--takeout pizza.

The Restaurant Hub blog of the Boston Globe mentions that the Vine Brook Tavern on Waltham Street in the center of town is setting up a takeout-only pizza program that will include such topping options as sopressata, fresh mozzarella, garlic, cherry peppers, pineapple, and more, with signature pies including one with bechamel and Brussels sprouts and another with spam and pineapple. It looks like the pizzas will be available starting this Thursday (July 25).

The address for this restaurant in Lexington Center is: Vine Brook Tavern, 20 Waltham Street, Lexington, MA, 02421. Their website can be found at http://vinebrooktavern.com/

A restaurant and nightclub in the Leather District of Boston has closed for renovations, and it appears that the place will reopen as a new restaurant and nightclub.

The Boston Hospitality and Tourism Industry Blog is reporting (via the City of Boston website) that District Restaurant & Lounge is going to be replaced by Savvor Restaurant & Lounge, with a hearing for a liquor license transfer coming at the end of the month. District's Facebook page mentions that the eating and drinking spot is currently shuttered while renovations take place, and that patrons should check out CURE Lounge, Venu Boston, and Rumor Boston, as well as Jason Santos' restaurant Abby Lane.

[August 1 and 7 updates: Universal Hub mentions that Francois Firmin, who operated the Blue Wave in the Fort Point district until it closed in late 2011, is planning to open a "similar lounge" in the former District space. It appears that the new spot would have Southern-style food and small plates, according to UH. (A second update--UH does seem to confirm that the new spot would indeed be called Savvor, as was previously noted here.)]

[December 3 update: A new post within the restaurant jobs section of the BostonChefs.com site indicates that Savvor Restaurant & Lounge is opening soon, and that Carey Dobies (former Sous Chef at the soon-to-close UpStairs on the Square in Cambridge) will head up the kitchen.]

It looks like an eclectic cafe is on its way to one of the busiest sections of Brookline.

According to a Twitter post that was sent to us over the weekend, Knight Moves is going to be opening on Beacon Street in the Coolidge Corner neighborhood, with the new spot looking to be a place where customers can play board games. The cafe's blog mentions that the folks behind it are "a collection of Board Game Geeks" who have "lamented the inconveniences Board Gamers face in Boston" such as "wobbly tables, noisy venues, and that the city seems to roll up the streets at 9 o Clock." The Twitter poster says that Knight Moves will be teaming up with Eureka! Puzzles--which resides at 1349 Beacon Street--with the Town of Brookline website showing that the cafe will be located nearby at 1402 Beacon Street.

It is not yet known exactly when Knight Moves will be opening (the Twitter poster says this fall); as soon as we get more information, we will post an update here.

[November 25 update: According to a new post from its blog, Knight Moves is now open, though only for board games at this point; they are still working with the town of Brookline to start serving food and drink.]

[January 14, 2014 update: Eater Boston states that Knight Moves is now serving snacks and coffee, with future plans including an expanded menu, more games, and upgrades to the tables and chairs. EB also says that the place is open until 11:00 PM Sunday through Thursday and 2:00 AM on Fridays and Saturdays.]

Monday, July 22, 2013

Several more stories and articles focusing on the Boston-area restaurant scene came out over the past week, including an oceanside restaurant closing once again, a group of dining and drinking establishments expanding to South Station, and a muppet-themed menu being created for a movie showing later this month. In addition, our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants) included a new review of a restaurant and bar in Jamaica Plain, a panel discussion on comfort food and cheap eats in the Boston area and elsewhere in New England, and a photo of carrot cake from a bakery-cafe in the South End.

The people behind three burger places in the Boston area (with another on the way) have opened a new spot, and this one is geared specifically toward Red Sox fans.

The Boston Hospitality and Tourism Industry Blog is reporting (via a Facebook post) that Tasty Burger is now serving food at a stand along the Yawkey Way concourse within Fenway Park The original location of the burger restaurant is close by on Boylston Street, with others being found on JFK Street in Cambridge's Harvard Square and at the corner of L Street and East 4th Street in South Boston--and a new one will also be coming to the Central Square neighborhood of Cambridge, though an exact location has not yet been confirmed.

The website for Tasty Burger can be found at http://www.tastyburger.com/

Thursday, July 18, 2013

A new deli and specialty food shop is on its way to Waltham, and the person behind it may be familiar to some.

Eater Boston is reporting that Moody's Delicatessen and Provisions is plannig to open on Moody Street, with the shop looking to offer breakfast and lunch items (including deli sandwiches) along with gourmet foods. The article says that the shop may also have farm-to-table dinners on a weekly basis, with the store being what owner Joshua Smith (Battery Park, Sweet Caroline's, Tico) calls is an "Italian Carnegie Deli meets Dean and DeLuca."

Moody's Delicatessen and Provisions is expected to open in early September, according to EB.

[November 6 update: According to its Facebook page, Moody's Delicatessen and Provisions plans to open on Tuesday, November 12.]

The address for this new deli and food shop in Waltham is: Moody's Delicatessen and Provisions, 468 Moody Street, Waltham, MA, 02453.

A new restaurant has opened in Jamaica Plain, and it looks like a rather eclectic eatery.

The Restaurant Hub blog of The Boston Globe is reporting that Simpli Bar & Bites is now open on Washington Street in the Forest Hills section of the neighborhood, with the place serving pastries, coffee, and tea for breakfast, salads and sandwiches at lunchtime, and pub grub and alcohol for dinner and beyond. The restaurant's website shows such items as steak tips, pork belly sliders, lamb chops, and flatbreads available in the evening, along with an array of beers, wines, and cocktails.

The address for this new dining spot in Jamaica Plain is: Simpli Bar & Bites, 3840 Washington Street, Jamaica Plain, MA, 02131. Their website can be found at http://simplibarandbites.com/

It looks like a cupcake shop that opened in downtown Boston a couple of years ago is moving to a larger space.

According to a post on its Facebook page, Cakeology, which is currently located on Province Street, is planning to open a bigger shop on nearby Washington Street, in what appears to be a move rather than a second shop. The note says that the new store will "be bigger, better and packed full of yummy things for you to eat," with an increase in counter space from 5 feet in the current spot to 13 feet in the new space.

It is not yet known when Cakeology might be opening in its new space; as soon as we find out, we will post an update here.

[September 24 update: Eater Boston is reporting that the move is complete and Cakeology is now open in its new home at 290 Washington Street.]

Wednesday, July 17, 2013

A South Shore restaurant and bar with some of the best views in the Boston area has closed its doors once again, and its future appears to be in doubt.

According to a post on its Facebook page, the Beachfire Restaurant and Bar at the southern tip of Nantasket Beach in Hull has shuttered for the season, with the note saying that "We have simply run into too many unfair and unjust roadblocks by certain factions in the town." The post goes on to say that "While we would love to say that we will return next summer it is something that we can not say for certain."

The Beachfire first opened in the middle of 2010 (replacing the Ocean Club), closing abruptly toward the end of 2011 and going up on the market for awhile before reopening in the spring of 2012.

The address for the Beachfire Restaurant and Bar is 42 State Park Road, Hull, MA 02045.

[Ed note: This article was updated to reflect confirmation that the place has indeed closed permanently.]

A restaurant and cocktail lounge in the Back Bay of Boston has closed its doors.

According to several of our readers, Flash's Cocktails on Stuart Street is shuttered, with a source checking the place yesterday afternoon and finding the doors locked with a stack of mail in the door handle, though no signs had been posted indicating why it was closed. A check on the restaurant's website indicates that the site has been suspended, and a phone call placed last night went to voicemail.

As soon as we find out whether Flash's has closed for good, we will post an update here.

[July 17 update: A worker from Flash's has confirmed that the place has closed for good.]

The address for the now-closed Flash's was 310 Stuart Street, Boston, MA, 02116.

Tuesday, July 16, 2013

Earlier this year, we reported that a local chain of dining and drinking spots was looking to open two more locations. Since then, it has been announced that one would be west of Boston, and now we have learned that the other location could be in the heart of the city.

According to a follower of the hiddenboston Twitter page, an alcohol license is apparently being transferred to Tavern in the Square for a location in South Station. A web search shows Bizapedia as mentioning that the restaurant and bar may indeed be opening there, making this their other new location (Tavern in the Square is also opening in Northborough). No confirmation on the South Station outlet has been made as of yet, so keep checking back for updates.

[July 16 update: Universal Hub mentions that Tavern in the Square is indeed looking to open at South Station, and it will be meeting with the Boston Licensing Board on July 31 to seek permission for a liquor license.]

[July 18 update: The Boston Business Journal states that the new Tavern in the Square will be only 780 square feet in size and plans to be more like an "airport-style bar," with a limited version of their regular menu and seating for 38.]

[August 13 update: A new job post on the Craigslist site says that South Station's Tavern in the Square is "preparing to open," with the free-standing spot being even smaller than originally thought (700 square feet) and offering more than 30 different draft beers, along with a full liquor menu.]

[February 3, 2014 update: A note from the restaurant indicates that the new Tavern in the Square at South Station is now open.]

Tavern in the Square can currently be found in Cambridge's Central Square and Porter Square as well as Allston, Burlington, and Salem. (The folks behind the restaurants also run Union Street in Newton Centre.) The website is at http://www.taverninthesquare.com/

A Boston hotel will be showing a classic movie later this month, and a local chef is creating an offbeat menu for the event that is inspired by the film.

Eater Boston mentions that on Tuesday, July 30, the Revere Hotel on Stuart Street will show The Muppet Movie in Theater 1, with Brian Poe of Poe's Kitchen at the Rattlesnake, the Tip Tap Room, and Estelle's creating a muppet-themed menu for the showing. According to the event page, the three-course small-plate menu will include Doc Hopper's French Fried Frog's legs, Miss Bogen County Fair braised Pork Belly, and Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Pie with Animal Crackers.

Tickets to the showing, which starts at 7:00 PM, cost $50, with the price including both the meal and the movie. For more information, please go to http://reelchefsiv.eventbrite.com/

The Revere Hotel is located at 200 Stuart Street (just south of Boston Common); its website is at http://www.reverehotel.com/

Monday, July 15, 2013

A national chain of supermarkets that features natural and organic foods continues to open new stores in the locations of a now-closed local chain.

A check over the weekend on the Whole Foods location at 35 Pleasant Street in South Weymouth indicates that it is now open, while a Facebook post on the Whole Foods Brookline page mentions that the Melrose store (880 Main Street) plans to open on July 24 and the Charlestown location (51 Austin Street) on August 7. All three are taking over former locations of Johnnie's Foodmaster (which closed last November), as did the Brookline shop, which opened at 1026-1028 Beacon Street in April. Whole Foods will also be opening in the old Johnnie's locations in Arlington (808 Mass. Ave.) and Somerville (45 Beacon Street) as well, though we are still trying to find out exact dates for those two.

[July 24 update: The Melrose location of Whole Foods has indeed opened; Charlestown is still on track for August 7.]

Approximately 20 locations of Whole Foods can currently be found in the Boston area.

The website for the supermarket chain is at http://wholefoodsmarket.com/

A few more stories and articles centering on the Boston-area restaurant scene came out over the past week, including a food festival within another festival coming to City Hall Plaza later this week, a popular national restaurant guide including two Boston spots among its picks for burgers, and a landmark restaurant on the waterfront getting ready to close. In addition, our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants) included an updated review of a diner south of Boston, a question on brewpubs in New England, and a photo of a noodle dish from a Chinese eatery northwest of the city.

The person behind a local group of vegetarian food trucks and brick-and-mortar restaurants has decided to close all locations for the time being, due to a salmonella outbreak throughout the state.

Eater Boston is reporting that Ayr Muir of Clover has shut down all Clover locations in and around Boston until further notice while the CEO tries to figure out more about the outbreak while having the trucks and restaurants go through a complete cleaning. A post on Clover's site mentions that "Some of the confirmed cases ate at Clover over the course of the days leading up to their illness," and that "The most recent case they know about was from 6/27/13." Muir also mentions that they will be taking a look at the ingredients they use as well as their suppliers, and that all "appropriate Clover employees" are being tested for salmonella.

As soon as we learn more (including when the Clover locations might reopen), we will post an update here.

[July 16 update: A new post on the Clover site today states that it has been "19 days since the last confirmed case of exposure" and that the "outbreak has resulted in no hospitalizations," but Ayr Muir says all Clover locations remain closed until further notice while they continue to test, clean, and investigate.]

[July 17 update: Clover remains closed until further notice (this will be the last update until they reopen).]

[July 22 update: A Twitter post from Clover over the weekend indicates that it is hoping to reopen on Wednesday (July 24).]

[July 23 update: The Boston Globe's Restaurant Hub blog has confirmed that Clover will reopen tomorrow (Wednesday, July 24), with free coffee given out at breakfast and free rosemary fries offered at lunch at all of their locations.]

[July 24 update: Clover has encountered a slight delay in its reopening, so it won't be opening until Thursday now.]

Clover's trucks can be found in Boston and Cambridge, while their brick-and-mortar locations are in Cambridge's Harvard Square and Inman Square along with Burlington and Brookline. The website for Clover is at http://www.cloverfoodlab.com/

Thursday, July 11, 2013

A new restaurant is on its way to Newton, and the person behind it owns another dining spot in the suburbs of Boston.

A job post on the Craigslist site indicates that Cook will be opening in the Newtonville section of the city, and that the owner of the 80-seat casual dining spot is Paul Turano of Tryst in Arlington. A page from the City of Newton website indicates that the restaurant will be located on Washington Street in the space where the pan-Asian eatery Lam's had been. It appears that Cook will be open daily for lunch and dinner.

Little else is known about Cook at this point in time; as soon as we hear about a possible opening date and what might be on the menu, we will post an update here.

[July 12 update: The Restaurant Hub blog of the Boston Globe mentions that Cook plans to open next month, and that it will offer such items as flatbreads, tacos, steaks, seafood, and pasta, with ingredients including locally-sourced produce. The article says that craft cocktails will be available as well, and that the dining spot will be more casual than Tryst.]

[September 13 update: A new article from the Restaurant Hub blog indicates that Cook will be opening tomorrow at 4:30 PM.]

A new gastropub is on its way to a town not exactly known for its gastropubs.

The Restaurant Hub blog of the Boston Globe is reporting (via the Chowhound site) that The Red Raven will be opening in Acton, taking over the pondside space at Nagog Park where Scupper Jack's/The Rusty Scupper had been. The article says that the Executive Chef at the upcoming eatery is Josh Buehler, who comes from the now-closed KO Prime in downtown Boston as well as Eastern Standard in the city's Kenmore Square neighborhood, while the restaurant's website mentions that it will have a "fresh elevated pub menu and farm to table cuisine."

Expect an early fall opening for The Red Raven, according to its website.

[July 25 update: The Red Raven is one step closer to opening, as the Acton Beacon mentions that town selectmen approved an alcoholic beverage license for the place earlier this week.]

[November 24 update: According to a post on its Facebook page, The Red Raven is now open.]

The address for this new gastropub in Acton is: The Red Raven, 3 Nagog Park, Acton, MA, 01720. The website for the dining spot can be found at http://www.redravenacton.com/

A "festival within a festival" is coming to downtown Boston this month, and its focus will be on food.

According to the Outside the Box site, the Fork Lift Food Fest will take place at City Hall Plaza from Thursday, July 18 through Sunday, July 21 at the Outside the Box music and performing arts festival, with a number of area restaurants and chefs participating. The Boston Globe states that the food fest will include tastings, a beer and wine emporium, chef demos, and book signings, with food tasting tickets being sold in sets of five for $1 each. (The food samplings will range from one to five tickets per dish.) A few of the chefs who will be there include Jody Adams (Rialto, Trade), Andy Husbands (Tremont 647), Kevin Long (Empire), Jeremy Sewall (Island Creek Oyster Bar), and Lydia Shire (Scampo, Towne). Hours for the Fork Lift Food Fest are 11:00 AM to 9:00 PM Thursday through Saturday and 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM on Sunday.

Outside the Box will run from Saturday, July 13 through Sunday, July 21.

For more information on the Fork Lift Food Fest (which is presented by the Boston Herald), please go to the link below:

Wednesday, July 10, 2013

A two-year-old restaurant in South Boston that took over the space where a landmark eatery had once been has been replaced by a new Italian spot.

A check on the space shows that Wolfie's Kitchen and Bar on L Street is now Sauce Trattoria, with a check on the Yelp site showing that the change apparently took place during the spring. The Caught in Southie site implies that the new spot is under the same ownership, but that it has a new chef--Richard Ansara from Amrheins in South Boston and the now-closed C.F. Donovan's in Dorchester. Wolfie's first opened in the summer of 2011, taking over the space where Kelly's Landing had been (Kelly's first opened in a nearby location in 1927, eventually moving to the L Street space in 2004).

The address for Sauce Trattoria is 81 L Street, South Boston, MA, 02127.

Another new frozen yogurt shop is opening in Arlington, and this one is in the center of town.

A check on the space indicates that Yummys is very close to being open on Mass. Ave., taking over the space where the Something Extra clothing store had been. Based on their Facebook page, the new store is a frozen yogurt "lounge" that will offer froyo, as well as possibly some other items (the page has categories that include smoothies, juices, and cupcakes, but we have not yet confirmed whether these will definitely be available). It appears that there will be seating for approximately 20 inside.

[July 11 update: Another check on the place indicates that Yummys is now open.]

A couple of months ago, Frozland Frozen Yogurt also opened on Mass. Ave., a short distance west of the center of town (across from the high school).

The address for this new frozen yogurt shop in Arlington Center is: Yummys, 474 Massachusetts Avenue, Arlington, MA, 02474. Its Facebook page can be found at https://www.facebook.com/YummysLounge

A French-Indian fusion restaurant in downtown Boston that closed about a year ago is going to be heading to auction next week.

The Boston Business Journal is reporting that the now-shuttered Mantra on Temple Place will be auctioned off on Friday, July 19, with Salvadore Auctions & Appraisals of Rhode Island setting up the auction of the nearly 10,000-square-foot space. The group behind Mantra--One World Cuisine--also closed Cafe of India in the Harvard Square section of Cambridge, though they still run Mela in Boston's South End, Kashmir and Mumbai Chopstix in the Back Bay, Bukhara in Jamaica Plain, Dosa Factory in the Central Square section of Cambridge, and Diva in the Davis Square neighborhood of Somerville, according to the BBJ.

[July 22 update: The Boston Hospitality and Tourism Industry Blog mentions that the Mantra space was sold for $1.725 million at the auction, and that this price does not include a liquor license for the spot. (There is no word as of yet on what might be going into the space.)]

[July 23 update: A new article in the Boston Business Journal states that Amir Youshaei, who owns Paz Jewelry across the street from the now-closed Mantra, was the high bidder at the auction and is now the owner of the property. (It is still not known what will be done with the space.)]

The address for the now-closed Mantra was 52 Temple Place, Boston, MA, 02111.

About Me

I am a writer, editor, and photographer from Boston, MA, who works in the field of publishing. I have founded two Web sites: Travel Guide of America and Boston's Hidden Restaurants, the latter of which is on track to attract more 1 million people annually. This blog, which is more news-based and also is seen by more than 1 million people each year, is an offshoot of Boston's Hidden Restaurants, which contains a separate blog within the site. I also have a blog called Boston Restaurant Talk, which is an offshoot of the Boston's Hidden Restaurants site. To get in touch, either email at hiddenboston@yahoo.com or go to the Boston's Hidden Restaurants contact page at http://hiddenboston.com/contactus.html